The clinic will serve adults and provide basic dental work like tooth extractions, fillings and cleanings, said Dr. Brandon Magill, a Manlius dentist who will volunteer his services.

Dr. Brandon MagillJames T. Mulder | jmulder@syracuse.com

"This is something to help people who've fallen through the cracks," Magill said. "This is for people who have nowhere else to go."

The uninsured often neglect their teeth for years, then end up in hospital emergency rooms with severe tooth aches. ERs can give the patients antibiotics and pain medication to treat their symptoms, but do not fix the underlying problem, Magill said.

Amaus received a $20,000 grant from the Central New York Community Foundation to start the dental program. Amaus, sponsored by the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, has provided free medical care since 2007. It sees about 30 patients a week.

"We have always had it in the back of our heads to start a dental clinic," said Dr. Lynn Beth Satterly, director of Amaus. "People who have poor access to dental care have poor health outcomes. In many ways the mouth is the gateway to general health."

Amaus is in the process of obtaining dental equipment, instruments and state approval.

The days and hours the dental clinic will be open have not been determined yet.

The clinic will use portable dental equipment similar to what Magill used when he was in the Navy and served in Iraq in 2006 and 2007. Magill was stationed at an airbase in Fallujah and worked in a dental clinic in a metal shed on the side of a runway. He expects that experience will serve him well when he volunteers at Amaus.

"I was treating and triaging emergencies, fixing people up and getting them on their way," he said. "This is not going to be Park Avenue dentistry."

Aside from Magill, two other dentists have agreed to volunteer at the clinic: Dr. David Dasher, a dentist with the Syracuse Community Health Center, and Dr. Patricia Mercuri of Aspen Dental. Dental hygienist Lynda Crowley, who works with Magill, also has volunteered. The clinic hopes to recruit more volunteers.

Amaus is usually open two days a week. Call 424-1911 for information about its schedule or to make a donation to support the clinic.

You can contact health writer James T. Mulder at jmulder@syracuse.com or (315) 470-2245. Follow him on Twitter @JamesTMulder.